A Chance Encounter
by Lizard Pie
Summary: Hao finds Faust and Eliza separated from the rest of the group, and unarmed on top of that. It's the perfect opportunity to gain an alliance as long as he can get them to cooperate.


AN: Was going to be a DAF request for Hao, but it didn't work out. Probably a one-shot, providing I'm not inspired to continue.

When Eliza and Faust are speaking together, it's in German.

Guten abend -Good Evening

Es ist scheußliches wetter, ja -it is terrible weather, yes?

Was wollt ihr -what do you want?

Und? Was ist schon dabei? -And? What of it?

Ich spreche mit ihrem ehemann -I'm speaking to your husband

Halt den mund -Literally 'halt the mouth', but basically 'shut up'.

Die antwort ist 'nein' -The answer is 'no'

bübchen -little boy

Mein vergnügen -my pleasure

* * *

Faust sighed heavily as he wrapped his arms around himself and edged closer to the fire. Eliza sat down and laid her head against his shoulder, keeping her eyes on the flame.

"…Next time we need to be alone…" he finally said, making her look over, "We should stay in town. There has to be _someplace_ appropriate…"

"Maybe," she said softly, laughing with a small sigh, "…Or, at least, we get a map."

"And watch the weather…" he added, shrugging slightly.

They'd realized they were lost at least an hour before the rain. By that point, though, they were so far from Patch that they couldn't see it anymore –no matter how high she flew.

There was a good chance that in their attempt to find their way, they'd gone even farther. It would stand to reason –with the fact that his pager no longer had a signal.

After the weather had turned for the worse, they'd quickly found a cave and built a fire to last the night.

Faust glanced over at his wife for a moment before he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, "Come on, you'll catch a cold."

Eliza smiled and nuzzled closer. However, a minute later she was craning her neck and narrowing her eyes in the direction of the cave entrance.

"Hm?" Faust asked, looking at her in confusion.

She held a finger up to his lips to silence him. She paused for a long moment, listening carefully before she hissed, "Do we have a weapon?"

Faust hesitated, "…What?"

Her eyes were darting and nervous, her body tense. "A knife, the scythe, anything…"

"...Well, I have some scalpels, but that's about…" He paused as she frantically dug through his pockets to find them, "What on Earth is with you?"

Eliza glanced up for a second, "Hao's aura is close... And we have… this." She held up the scalpel she had clenched in her hand. She glanced over hopefully, "…Unless there are reinforcements?"

He closed his eyes to scan the surrounding area. After a moment, though, he shook his head. Eliza looked away, readjusting her grip on the tool.

"Nothing I would be comfortable using..." When she sighed heavily, he nuzzled his face against hers, "We can always hope that he's only looking for a place out of the rain."

She glanced over, "Since when are you such an optimist?" Eliza smirked for a second, "Is that child rubbing off on you?"

He chuckled slightly, "Who knows…?"

Anything more he was going to say was cut off as the sound of footsteps began to echo against the cave walls. The two sat in silence, Faust pressing Eliza closer to himself, as they waited.

Just as she'd warned, Hao appeared shortly –wet hair clinging to his forehead and a wide smile on his face.

"Guten abend," He said brightly, strolling over and taking a seat on the opposite side of the fire, "Es ist scheußliches wetter, ja?"

The couple glanced at each other before nodding.

"You can speak German?" Faust asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Hao shrugged with a small smile still on his face, "Just enough to get by." He looked them over, "Unfortunately my time in northern Europe was very limited, particularly the time in Germany, so I didn't have the chance to learn as much as I would have liked."

"Hm." Eliza kept her eyes locked on him, brow pulled together slightly and posture tense. A flat warning to keep his distance.

Hao glanced at her for a moment, but moved his attention back to Faust.

"Such a shame… it _is_ a beautiful language." He grinned into the fire, "Perhaps after all this is over, I should head there for a bit…"

"Perhaps," Faust said quickly, squeezing Eliza's arm to calm her.

Hao's face didn't change, though he could sense that the tension was growing. He needed to do something to gain them back…. The fire was dying –perfect.

"Oh…" he said casually, "This is going to go out soon." He waved his fingers, making the flame grow again. His smile broadened again, "There we go –that should last."

"Danke," Eliza said after a moment. Finally, she looked him over more critically than before. "Was wollt ihr?" she asked skeptically and shifted the scalpel so that it could catch the firelight.

Hao blinked before glanced at her. He hadn't expected this half of the couple to be giving him trouble. Perhaps he hadn't even thought she would play any sort of role in the first place. It might have been a rather large mistake… He'd have to neutralize her quickly before she corrupted her husband.

Hao smiled sweetly at her and shrugged lightly, "Just like you… I came out here and got lost in the rain. All I want is to get dry. Or, am I not allowed?"

When she scowled and snapped back something he didn't understand, Hao frowned slightly and turned his attention questioningly to Faust.

"She says that it's a hell of a coincidence –you traveling all the way out here, and then finding the exact cave we went in." The necromancer paused for a moment to frown, "I have to say that I agree."

Hao's eyebrows came together just slightly as he shot a glance to Eliza, "So, nothing can be a coincidence?"

Faust frowned more deeply, "Nothing with you ever seems to be."

He paused for a long while, looking them over, before laughing brightly. "She's clever, isn't she?" He smiled over at her, "Not much gets past you, does it?"

The couple glanced at each other in confusion. They hadn't expected flattery –in any form. This could mean a lot of things –which would all take different preparation. But which one…?

"Alright, fine, I admit it. I saw you two fly off, and I followed you." He grinned into the flame, "Mephisto E is such an… impressive oversoul." He glanced to Faust, "Especially considering the level of experience of the one who made her."

He continued before Faust could say a word, "I've been doing a bit of digging on you, Johann Faustus VIII. You contacted Mephistopheles six years ago, and since then have been traveling Europe learning from other necromancers. Even with the impressive figures you've gone to, even with your bloodlines –your progress is amazing. There is so much natural talent involved; I can barely even begin to name it."

Eliza frowned as she pieced together what she understood. She leaned forward slightly, "Und? Was ist schon dabei?"

Hao frowned at her. "Ich spreche mit ihrem ehemann," he said flatly, then mouthed, "Halt den mund." He flashed her an insincere smile before putting on what appeared to be a more truthful one for her husband.

Eliza curled her lip fiercely.

"Your power is so impressive… I'm nearly tingling at the thought of being allied to it." He leaned a bit closer, "But, the truth is you haven't tapped anything close to your full potential yet. With the right guidance, there's no telling what you could do." A wider grin spread across his face, "Perhaps even full reincarnations."

Faust sat up straighter, jaw dropped as he thought over the prospect.

Eliza, alive again.

Perfect as she had been.

They could go back to Germany, have the family he'd always wanted…

Live a normal life…

It was almost a dream –and here it was being handed to him. All he had to do was reach over and take it…

"You…" he said hesitantly, "You can do this?" His eyes were wide as he searched Hao.

Eliza blinked. "You can't be serious..." She hissed.

When he held up a hand to silence her, she stared at him in shock. Even as she did, though, she knew she shouldn't be surprised. Hao had played the one hand which couldn't lose.

She gripped his arm more tightly, but he wasn't listening to her.

"With the right training, the right environment –and by contacting the right people –all things are possible." The smile became more of a smirk. "So… yes, I can."

A smile slowly spread across Faust's face as he pressed Eliza closer. He looked at her with eyes far more bright and alert than they had been for a long time. There was… hope there?

"Well, Eliza?" he whispered to her excitedly, "How does that sound? We could go back to the way things were and…"

"There has to be other ways," she told him, "Ways which don't involve… him…" She shot a glare at Hao, who was pretending not to be paying attention to them.

"But what if they don't work?" he asked.

"And what if his don't? And what if he succeeds?" she leaned closer, "Everything worth going back for might be destroyed. And if he doesn't…" she looked away, "It's not worth it."

"…This might be the only chance, Eliza…" Faust said softly, looking at her with desperation, "I can't just let it slip away…"

Eliza smiled at him softly before putting a hand on the side of his face, "Johann…"

Faust paused for a long while before leaning in to kiss her.

Again more hungrily…

And again…

Hao finally coughed lightly to gain back their attention.

Faust glanced over before smiling nervously, "I'm sorry… but I must decline."

Hao's smile faltered just slightly, "…What?"

"Die antwort ist 'nein'," she said smugly, smirking over at him.

Hao gritted his teeth, "You're turning down your wife being alive?"

Faust paused for a moment, making Hao smirk. Have him think about what he was doing, and he wouldn't refuse… He'd done his research, after all. And everything pointed to…

"Of course not," the necromancer said, glancing him over, "I'm turning _you_ down." He shared a smirk with Eliza, "So, if you'll excuse me… I'm going to be busy the rest of the night."

Eliza giggled and pressed closer before smirking at Hao, "So, leave bübchen."

Hao frowned deeply before walking over and whispering, "You've made an enemy," in her ear.

Eliza simply winked at him, "Mein vergnügen."

Hao frowned before turning and leaving the couple behind.

He wasn't going to give up after this set-back, of course. A necromancer was a very powerful ally –Faust in particular. On top of that, he wasn't the strongest will in Patch –he could be molded into someone very loyal.

He'd just… have to rework how he would get him.

Not just separate him from the group, but separate him from that damn manipulative woman. Which would be difficult –but it probably could be done.

Hao smirked as he summoned the Spirit of Fire.

After all, he basically had all the time in the world.


End file.
